Written By: Muskan Gupta | Published : April 3, 2026 2:57 PM IST
Medically Verified By: Dr. Muhammed Niyas
A few weeks ago, a young nursing student from Bangalore was admitted to our hospital with high fever, body aches, and severe weakness. The diagnosis was typhoid ( also called Enteric fever), which is not uncommon for a city like ours. Dr Muhammed Niyas, Consultant, Department of Infectious Diseases, KIMSHEALTH, Thiruvananthapuram told that we started her on ceftriaxone, the most common antibiotic that doctors across India rely on for typhoid. Days passed, but the fever did not settle. Tests eventually confirmed what we had feared. The typhoid bacteria in her body were resistant to ceftriaxone. We had to switch to stronger, more expensive medicines before she finally began to recover.
According to Dr Muhammed Niyas, here are six things each of us should know:
Typhoid enters your body when you consume water or food contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. In many parts of India, especially densely populated areas with poor sanitation, sewage mixes with drinking water. Street food prepared with unclean water is another common route. Ensuring your family drinks safe water, whether boiled, is the single most important step you can take.
For decades, doctors treated typhoid with common antibiotics. But the bacteria have learned to fight back. Many strains in India are now resistant to multiple drugs at once. Even newer antibiotics are beginning to fail. Most alarmingly, Indian hospitals have recently found typhoid bacteria resistant to carbapenems, which are among the strongest antibiotics we have.
Typhoid (Enteric fever), requires a longer antibiotic therapy compared to many other bacterial infections. Shorter duration may lead to recurrence of the infection. If you or your child is prescribed antibiotics for typhoid, completing the full course is critical, even if the fever has gone.
No medicine can replace prevention. Clean drinking water and proper sanitation remain the most effective way to stop typhoid. Simple habits matter. Wash your hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet. Drink only boiled or purified water. Avoid raw food from roadside stalls during the monsoon when contamination risk peaks.
India has now introduced typhoid conjugate vaccines, which can be given to children as young as six months, providing long-lasting protection against typhoid. With drug-resistant typhoid cases increasing rapidly, vaccination has become a priority. Consult your doctor about this.
Most labs and clinics in India use the Widal test to diagnose typhoid. The problem with this method is that it is extremely inaccurate. It will give a positive result even if you don't have typhoid, and will give a negative result even if you actually do have typhoid. The proper blood test involves culture, where doctors will actually culture the bacteria from your blood sample. Not only will this confirm whether or not you actually have typhoid, but it will also confirm what antibiotics will actually work against your particular infection. If your doctor only orders a Widal test, ask if you can have a blood culture done too.
Disclaimer: Dear readers, this article provides general information and advice only. It is not at all professional medical advice. Therefore, always consult your doctor or a healthcare specialist for more information. TheHealthSite.com does not claim responsibility for this information.
